Wedding Bells
by r.m.redframe
Summary: Henry and Elizabeth take a trip to city hall to get married before Henry goes off to war. Inspired by their description of their wedding in Family Separation Parts 1 and 2. Currently rated T for implied sexual situations (styled after the series), but may be changed to M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1 (Elizabeth's POV)

_**Author's Note: I'm feeling pretty vulnerable about this one because I love it so much! I hope you guys enjoy it, too. I did my homework and went back and watched every scene I could remember where they addressed the beginning of their marriage (even though the writers DEFINITELY should have referred to their show bible a little more often. It's a continuity disaster, lol.) This version of the story is pretty Elizabeth-centric. I'm toying with the idea of telling the story again in a second chapter, but from a Henry-centric perspective. Thoughts? Is that something you guys would like to read?**_

"... and you're absolutely certain about this?" Becky asked tentatively.

"More certain than I've ever been about anything in my life."

Elizabeth stood on her tiptoes to admire herself a little more fully in the mirror of the dorm bathroom. Her dress - technically Becky's on loan as her "something borrowed" - was a white eyelet dress with a sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves. She wore her late mother's sapphire earrings (her "something old" and "something blue") and her soft blonde hair rested in curls around her face.

"You look gorgeous, Bess."

"Not exactly the Princess Diana look I had in mind, but it'll do." Elizabeth smiled mischievously and turned to look at her friend with a wink.

"I think we did a pretty good job with the amount of time you gave us to prepare."

Becky was correct. There really hadn't been much time to prepare, but Elizabeth couldn't fathom sending Henry off to war without the promise that she would be waiting for his return - or more selfishly, the promise that he would return to her. The world might have been burning, but people were still falling in love, and the two of them were no exception.

"I just can't believe you're leaving me!" Becky continued.

"Leaving you? Please. You wish I was leaving you. Instead, you just get the same old me, pining over my man. The only difference is that I'll have a new ring on my left hand. Wait. You are still planning on being my roommate next semester, right? You're not going to leave me alone while Henr—"

"Absolutely not," Becky cut her off. "It just seemed like the thing to say when your best friend is getting married. You know, like something they'd say in a romantic comedy."

"You're so strange."

Elizabeth looked at her friend and the two burst into a fit of laughter.

"C'mon. We have to get you to the chu— um, city hall on time!"

The two dashed down the hall, swinging by their dorm room quickly to grab their coats, scarves, and gloves before jumping into Becky's car.

•+ MS +•

When they arrived at city hall, Henry was already there, standing in his dress blues right outside the doors, waiting with a bouquet of flowers. Elizabeth's eyes brimmed with tears when she saw him. He was genuinely the most handsome man she had ever seen, and he had chosen to marry her. She could hardly believe it. She wanted to run at him and fling herself into his arms, but instead she found herself frozen in her steps, her blue eyes locked with his brown eyes.

It was Becky who eventually gave her a little shove, bringing her back to reality and starting her on a trajectory towards the door.

"Hey," Elizabeth murmured breathlessly as she approached Henry.

"Hey yourself," he murmured back. "You look incredible."

"Look at you two!" Becky cried, snapping a picture with her Polaroid. "You're adorable together, and this is so dreamy - getting married before he goes off to war like some Civil War romance!"

The couple simultaneously shot her an incredulous look. Neither of them wanted to be reminded of their impending fate - especially Elizabeth who had lost too many of the people she loved - nor was it the idyllic wedding they had both desired.

"Okay, okay. Sorry! Let's get you lovebirds inside. It's 4:45, and they're closing at 5."

•+ MS +•

The judge was not nearly as thrilled for Henry and Elizabeth as Becky was. He was about 126 years old and unbelievably cranky.

"Marriage?" The judge half looked up from the paperwork, eyeing them over the rim of his glasses.

"Yes, sir. We're here to get married," Henry answered.

The judge shook back the sleeve of his robe, looked at his wristwatch, and sighed.

"Let's get this show on the road, then. You probably should've come in a little earlier."

Elizabeth clenched her jaw and stiffened her muscles. She really wanted to punch the judge. Fortunately Henry sensed her distress and jumped in.

"I'm sorry, sir. I just got in last night, deploying Sunday, and Elizabeth had a final exam this afternoon."

The judge waved his hand dismissively.

"Fine, fine. You brought your own witness?"

Elizabeth answered this time. "Yes, your honor. My best friend, Becky."

"Good. Okay. Henry McCord, do you take—," the judge paused to glance at the papers, "Elizabeth Adams to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, forsaking all others, 'til death do you part?"

"I do."

Elizabeth could have sworn she saw a tear forming at the corner of Henry's eye.

"Elizabeth Adams, do you take Henry McCord to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, forsaking all others, 'til death do you part?"

"I do."

Becky sniffled loudly from the corner of the courtroom, drawing a chuckle from Henry and Elizabeth and a glare from the judge.

"Sorry," Becky whispered meekly, dabbing at her nose with the sleeve of her coat.

"I presume you two have rings to exchange, correct?"

"Yes, sir," Henry responded, producing a small velvet box from his pocket.

"Henry, repeat after me, and then place the ring on Elizabeth's left hand. Elizabeth, this ring I give as token and pledge, as a sign of my love and devotion. With this ring, I thee wed."

Henry slid the cool, metal band along her slender ring finger, then lifted her hand to press a kiss to it, eliciting a small gasp from Elizabeth as her breath caught in her throat.

"Elizabeth, repeat after me, and then place this ring on Henry's left hand. Henry, this ring I give as token and pledge, as a sign of my love and devotion. With this ring, I thee wed."

Elizabeth dutifully repeated the vows with shaking voice, but before she could finish sliding the ring onto Henry's finger, the judge rushed on.

"Henry and Elizabeth, by the power invested in me by the Commonwealth of Virginia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. A certified copy of your marriage license is available at the records office, out the door, to your left, two doors down."

The newly married couple stood stunned. That was not the ending they had in mind.

"Oh, and yes, you may kiss your bride."

Wrapping his muscular arms around her slim waist, Henry lifted his new wife for a kiss. With a flash of Becky's Polaroid, their wedding ceremony concluded and they walked into the hall, arm in arm.

•+ MS +•

Marriage certificate procured, still warm from the Xerox machine, Henry and Elizabeth embraced outside of the courthouse while Becky snapped a few more pictures.

"Well, folks, this is where I leave you," she said, handing Elizabeth a stack of photos.

"You're not joining us for dinner?" Elizabeth asked.

"It's the least we can do," Henry chimed in. "You were Elizabeth's chauffeur, our witness, and our wedding photographer."

"Nah," Becky responded, circling at them with her index finger, "I think you two could use all of the alone time you can get. See you Sunday night, Bess?"

"Of course."

With that, Becky left and the new husband and wife set off, not wanting to waste a moment of the remaining 36 hours and 28 minutes they had together.

•+ MS +•

Much later that evening, as they lay snuggled together in their warm hotel bed, surrounded by the blankets and extra pillows Henry had requested especially for Elizabeth, Henry apologized.

"For what?" Elizabeth said, lifting her head.

"That we didn't get the big white wedding, with the dress, and the cake, and," Henry began to sing, "'Ooooh, baby I love your way...'"

"Leave the singing to Pete, okay baby?"

"Pete?" Henry questioned. "Are you on a nickname basis with him now?"

Elizabeth giggled and playfully shoved Henry in the chest.

"I'm sorry, too, Henry. I wish we could've found a church to accommodate us last minute."

"I'll make you a promise. When I come back - and I will come back - we'll have a wedding. A real wedding with all of the trimmings. One with Will, Aunt Joan—" Elizabeth groaned when he mentioned her name "and all of my family. Is it a deal?"

"Deal," Elizabeth responded, sealing the promise with a peck on his lips.

"But for now," Henry continued, rolling Elizabeth to her back and straddling her hips, "I think we should get back to consummating this marriage."

Elizabeth wholeheartedly agreed.


	2. Chapter 2 (Henry's POV)

_**Author's Note: Well, here it is, at long last... The wedding from Henry's POV. I'm hoping to be a little more active again in the future, especially for reading. I don't know if I'll ever get over Madam Secretary ending, lol. I'm going to be honest, though, my . fan fiction was mostly written in the middle of the night when I had a little baby who didn't sleep. He started sleeping through the night, and I stopped writing fan fiction. I do, however, have several drafts in the notes on my phone. If you guys aren't too appalled by my midnight writing skills, I'll upload some more of them! Let me know what you think! Enjoy.**_

"I can't believe you're making such a horrible mistake. You've changed since Elizabeth came into your life, Henry, and not for the better. You're going to regret this," Maureen spat.

Henry bristled at her words and stood to defend his girlfriend - nay, fiancée's - honor, but he didn't have a chance.

"Sit down, both of you," his father, Patrick, barked. "Shane, Erin, go upstairs and finish your homework. Now."

Henry could tell from the look in his father's eyes that he also had doubts about Elizabeth's suitability, but it didn't matter. Henry's mind was made up.

His mother — ever the voice of reason —spoke next.

"You've always been the most level-headed of our children," she said, drawing a snort of disagreement from Maureen. "I know that you must have a good reason for rushing to get married before you leave, and I respect that, even though I don't understand. Tell us."

Henry drew a sharp breath. He shot a pointed look at Maureen that said "See?" and began.

"First and most importantly, I love her. She challenges me in ways that I didn't know were possible. I would end up marrying her anyway, so I don't see any reason to wait. But more practically, I'm going to fight for our country. If something happens to me, I need to know that she will be taken care of."

"And the rest of us? We're undeserving of you, I guess. Honestly, Henry, I don't know where you get off thinking you're better than us," Maureen retorted, as their parents exchanged a series of glances.

Finally, Patrick spoke.

"Well, Henry, we're not exactly happy, but you're an adult. You're going to make your choices whether we approve or not, so you have our blessing to do what you have to do. It's just as well that you don't have a big wedding. Why would you spend all that money when the marriage might not work out? Stay married for 10 years and then have a party."

Henry's mother stood and wrapped her arms around him as Maureen sighed loudly and left the room, dragging her husband, Tom, with her.

"She'll come around eventually," his mother whispered to him.

Henry had his doubts.

•+ MS +•

As the morning of the wedding dawned, Henry busied himself with every small task he could think of while trying not to get cold feet. Maureen's words echoed through his mind.

"You'll regret this."

He wondered if he would. Not in the way Maureen intended, though. Even if Elizabeth destroyed him, he wouldn't have any regrets.

He thought of Tennyson: "'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." She needed his love as much as he needed hers, and that made it worth it. Instead, he worried that he would be the one to destroy her. He didn't want to be another name on her list of lost loved ones.

He shook his head, attempting to eradicate the thoughts.

It was too late. Even if he called it all off now, it would still be a catastrophic loss for her. It would be for him, too. Instead, he firmly resolved not to let a force on earth keep him away from her. He would come home to her, even if he had to defy the laws of physics or sell his soul to the devil.

She was worth it.

•+ MS +•

The weather that Friday afternoon was frigid, and the judge had an attitude to match. He was not making any effort to hide his displeasure with them for showing up at the close of business.

Elizabeth stiffened as the judge looked at the time and chastised them for not coming in earlier. Henry knew that Elizabeth might say something they'd both regret if he didn't intervene, so he jumped in with an apology that placated the judge enough for them to continue.

The ceremony was basically a blur for Henry, whose heart was pounding in his ears. He could fly fighter jets into war zones, but this was testing his limits emotionally. He absolutely did not want to tear up. He started to wonder if other grooms felt the same way on their wedding day, but his internal dialogue was interrupted by the judge.

"I presume you two have rings to exchange, correct?"

Henry started to panic for a moment. Had he remembered to bring the rings? Thankfully, they were indeed in his pocket, tucked safely inside their velvet box.

"Yes, sir," he responded audibly, while silently reminding himself to keep it together.

When it was Elizabeth's turn to repeat her vows, Henry noted that her voice was shaking a bit as well. He found it strangely reassuring to know that he wasn't alone in his feelings.

"Okay. Henry and Elizabeth, by the power invested in me by the Commonwealth of Virginia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. A certified copy of your marriage license is available at the records office, out the door, to your left, two doors down."

Henry froze. He hadn't been to many weddings in his life — only Maureen's and a couple of college buddies — but this was not how he remembered them ending.

"Oh, and yes, you may kiss your bride," said the judge, who was already stacking up the paperwork and standing to leave.

Henry grinned and leaned in, lifting Elizabeth up to lock lips. This was more like it.

•+ MS +•

Henry was secretly relieved that Becky declined their offer to join them for dinner. There was no tactful way to say it - the woman was awkward - and he really just wanted to spend the evening soaking up Elizabeth's presence instead of listening to Becky babble on about Jane Austen.

"I made us reservations at Palermo, but if you'd rather—"

"Ooh, is that the place with—"

"The amazing strawberry zabaglione? Yes."

"Oooh, Henry McCord. You know the way to this girl's heart."

"I guess it's settled," he said, opening the car door for her and ushering her in with a kiss.

•+ MS +•

The next morning, Henry woke before Elizabeth. He lay beside her for a few minutes admiring her soft, blonde curls splayed across the white pillowcase, watching as each peaceful breath escaped her slightly parted lips. She was the most beautiful creature on the planet, he was sure of it.

He wanted to stay beside her all day, but he also knew that he ought to get a run in. Glancing at the clock, he realized that he could almost certainly be back before she awoke if he left immediately.

Henry dressed in silence, then scribbled a quick note on the small notepad beside the phone, just in case.

E—

I've gone for a quick run. I'll probably be back before you wake up and see this, but if not, stay in bed!

I love you.

—H

He needn't have gone to the effort, though. When he returned 30 minutes later, coffee and bear claws in hand from the coffee shop next door, she was still asleep.

Quietly, he crept across the room and set their breakfast on the bedside table. Brushing a strand of hair from her face, he kissed her delicately on the forehead, causing her eyes to flutter.

"Good morning, Mrs. McCord."

"Mmm," she sighed, eyes still closed. "Say that again."

"Which part?"

"The latter... but on second thought, maybe not. You smell."

"Sorry, I slipped out for a run. You could help me with that in the shower, but I brought you coffee and a pastry, so you'll—"

"Oh, you know what my choice is, McCord," she replied with a wink.

Henry just laughed. He did indeed.


End file.
